The Cave
by Evelyn-Blue
Summary: Under different circumstances Belle befriends a little boy called Baelfire asking him to write a story for her book not knowing this chance encounter will start her story in turn. Rumbelle!
1. Chapter 1

_**So this is my first 'Once Upon A Time' based fiction. After being introduced to this series i've been hook and throughout the first series up until now and longer i've been infatuated by the character that is Rumplestiltskin, he's quite unique. **_

_**The writers' are fantastic to come up with a more meaningful take on 'Beauty and The Beast' and i fell in love with that version, Rumbelle being my favourite couple from the show.**_

_**The title of this fiction is from a song that I feel closely relates to Rumplestiltskin watch?v=fNy8llTLvuA you can follow that link to hear it and hopefully you do!**_

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The cool crisp air became more apparent to her coming down the exquisite path of leaves and dirt, the glare of the sun softened by the branches towering in the sky, like fingers to shield her eyes protectively.

Breathing in she exhaled calmly when she could finally hear the faint sound of laughter and the clinking of wood relaying of sticks which seemed nothing of the sort to the children who would be pretty defensive that they were swords and not just broken branches. Her wine red lips played a small smile of contentment as she looked upon one spot under a sheltered tree filled with hues of red, browns and oranges from the turn in seasons with some straw underneath; A perfect spot for reading.

Her slender hand reached for inside the wicker basket she had been carrying close to her to pull out a book, large as it was it was definitely worth carrying the weight. She sighed and settled on the straw, bringing up both hands to rub the fabric of her green and golden hood, cherishing the texture before pulling it off revealing her brunette locks that in turn complimented the autumn colours perfectly.

She looked up once more with a grin watching the children imagine up scenarios and role play as if they were the real thing before pulling out a quill from her wicker basket and opening up the book a few pages in.

Times drew on and what could have been minutes felt like hours and what might have been hours drifted into the peak of the afternoon, not that she noticed in her daze and wonder. It was strange that nothing could draw her from her trance when she was brought upon a good book but the sudden silence and echoes of whispers made her head snap up, her face from shocked to one of sorrow.

Children whispered of parents calling them in the distance with uncertainty, clearly lies taking their make believe swords and running the other way from none other than a child of what eight years old? The boys sighed and ran his hand through his curly dark locks before kicking a nearby rock and sinking to the ground, knees up with his head resting on them as he shuddered in upset.

"Hello." The boy turned his head, not moving from his position to see the woman cradling the book to her chest tightly before burying his head back into his knees. "Hey sweetheart, what's wrong?"

She got up with her things and walked towards the boy slowly, sitting next to him and leaning against him playfully giggling as she did so.

"Why so glum? Is your mother around Sweetheart?" He moved his head slowly in a shake making her throat feel tight. "What of your father?"

"My father told me to stay here…" the boy croaked as he attempted to wipe away his tears to which the woman took hold of him by the chin and dabbed his tear strewn face with a simple cloth. Her ruby lips grew into a radiant smile as he sniffed. "Well would you allow me to keep you company whilst you wait for your father?"

The child took in a sharp inhale of air, snapping his face away from her tender touch and stuttering as he stumbled to his feet.

"You don't have to! You really shouldn't my Papa he's…he's a monster!" With his dark sleeve he wiped the rest of his tears away leaving his pale skin red and his innocent face the picture of horror. "No one talks to me let alone will be seen with me because of his reputation. He hurts people."

"Now I don't think such a thing is possible, we all think of our parents to be monsters' at one point or another." She pursed her lips and cocked her head earing a giggle as she pulled the boy back down by both hands, "If those children were really your friends' then they would have made the effort to be with you despite your Papa being protective now?"

"I…I'm Baelfire." She sat back with a grin looking at the tiny hand reaching out to her for a handshake.

"I'm Belle… and I am willing to bet that it was your papa who taught you how to greet a lady." They both smiled as they shook hands slowly.

"What's that book?" Bealfire moved his curls from his vision and leaned closer to look at the dark cover which for the moment was blank but the contents was filled thick with paper.

"This Bealfire is a book of _magic_." Bae's eyebrows knotted together in confusion mixed with uncertainty.

"I don't like magic; magic comes with a price." The little boy frowned and went to move away only to be stopped by Belle's melodic laugh and her soft touch pulling him back next to her with kind eyes. "This magic Baelfire is the enchantment of imagination, heroism and true love. This is where the price one pays for magic is worth the sacrifice."

Baelfire's dark glassy eyes widened in wonder as the woman flickered a few pages allowing him to see the exquisite calligraphy along with the mixture of colours and multiple hues that adorned the illustrative parts of the book.

"Magic like that exists?" But these are just stories…" Belle allowed Bae to hold an edge of the book as he flicked from picture to picture.

"All stories have to come from somewhere. A story isn't necessarily fiction." She smiled turning a few more pages. "My father and fiancée are somewhat protective of me; the majority of what they do is to keep me safe even if I don't agree with them sometimes. This book is an escape of some sorts, I was lucky to have friends' that could venture where I never could and in doing so this book was made."

She took in another breath as Baelfire looked up in anticipation making her giggle a bit more.

"A lot of people over the years have added stories based on people they know and love, they're a bit scattered because every story interlocks and never really ends in a way." Belle thrust the book gently into Baelfire's arms allowing him to look some more. "Say, how about you write me a story?"

Bae's head cocked up to meet her soft expression as she began to get up, shaking the dirt from her pretty cloak and smooth out her baby blue dress.

"Me? But all your friends' have-"

"We are friends' right Baelfire?" with only that and a smile she took her wicker basket and went back down the trail leaving Baelfire to hold the book in his arms like a child with a wide smile. In the next breath he turned to see none other but his Papa whose feet crunched the leaves as he walked towards him.

"Who were you talking to Bae?" the little boy looked up to meet the eyes of his father which now didn't look like his own but were wider and black as night itself, his skin looked scaly, like sweat pouring from his face but the looks had not mattered to Bae.

"I made a friend Papa. She gave me this!" He gulped and tried his hardest to smile in ignorance of the bloodstain on his father's shoe, if he didn't say anything it didn't happen. Rumplestiltskin smiled widely, his head jerking in a twitch as he ruffled his son's curly hair clearly happy that his son was happy. "It's a book of stories Papa! She wants me to write her one!"

"Is that so Bae?" The man knelt to run his hand along the book and his expression came up in confusement as he met his son's eyes. "It doesn't have a title Bae…"

"We can think of one later for her papa. Only… I'm not very good at writing Papa…" Rumplestiltskin nearly felt what was left of his heart break at his son trying to please his new friend and cupped his face before jumping up with a coy whine which was now his laugh.

"Then my boy I shall help you!" He pulled Bae by the shoulder, his other arm in the air as if it was showing the boy something mystical. "We will figure out a title for your book and I will have someone teach you to write!"

"Oh thank you Papa!" Bae jumped on his heels, the thought of the blood on Rumple's shoe gone from his head.

"And what should I call this friend if I was ever to meet her Bae?"

"Belle Papa, her name is Belle."

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_**This is a new way of meeting Belle with Bae still in the mix, let me know what you think of it and i'm open to questions, ideas and convo's etc**_

_**-Blue :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**So here is another chapter. In response to one review the song is "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons. Just type it in youtube!**_

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Leaves crunched endlessly under her dainty feet as she trotted down the road back to the summer home she shared with her Father, humming an assortment of melodies to herself as her basket swung with a flick of the wrist and her cloak swished in a perfect circle along with her body.

Belle took in a deep breathe once she halted at the small log cabin only a short distance away and sighed with her blue eyes rolling backwards and then forwards again, the cabin was small and from once glance no one would have thought such simplicity would have been associated with royalty. Belle herself loved the being here outside the boarders of the palace, here she was somewhat in control of what she could and couldn't do even if her Father and Fiancée didn't approve of her sneaking out as a last resort to feel the cool forest air on her skin, or socialise with the simple townsfolk.

She bit her lip and walked up to the wooden door which opened with a creak catching the attention of it's current residence who quickly found their way to the front door before the princess could even take her shoes off.

"Belle! Where on in the world have you been? Your Father has been worried sick since he found out you were gone!" Belle's body tensed a little as the man before her engulfed her in a tight hug, muscular in tight black pants and a burgundy top; forcing his musk to fill her nostrils and within a few moments she pushed forward with her hand to push him back.

"Seriously Gaston, you and Father worry too much." She dropped her woven basket and untied her cloak from around her neck and placed it to hang on the stand, "I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"Belle, we had soldiers out looking for you all afternoon and you brush it off like it's nothing! You're a Princess, anything could happen and anyone could be responsible." Gaston explained in a worried tone as the brunette maiden made her way swiftly past him and fixed herself a drink, brushing down her dress and suppressing a groan of annoyance. "Your Father is out the back pacing in worry."

Belle leaned back against the worktop nodding a little with her ruby lips pursed in uninterest, causing Gaston to run his hand through his raven locks and sigh in frustration before storming out in which she assumed was to tell her Father that she was home.

She was right.

"Belle! BELLE! What's the meaning of this runaway act?! Years ago I could blame it on you being a curious child but now you're a grown woman!" Belle took a sip from her cup, savouring the cool sensation of water trickling down her throat in refreshment as her Father, large built man who was balding and adorned rich robes, stormed into the kitchen with his face tinted red.

"I was only out in town Father; I purchased a few books and sat down to read. I lost track of time and I'm sorry."

She was sick of this. It was the same at the palace; she couldn't move, breathe or think without someone knowing about it.

It was different here though, Belle knew very well that only a handful knew of the holiday home and the lack of guards were a way of keeping the towns people from having suspicions about the royals being there.

"You can't keep going off like this Belle. There has just been word of violence breaking out not far from the boarder and it's evident to most that it's not going to die down." The older man rubbed the skin above his eyebrows with two fingers in stress as Belle parted her lips to take in a sharp breath of air.

"It's a war isn't it?"

"Yes Belle. It's a war."

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Bae sat and waited.

He sat in the same spot where he had met his new friend just days before finding he ran into her at this spot at the same time most days. The tickling idea at the back of his mind that he finally had a friend that wasn't deterred by his Father's awful ways had stuck there like it was a lodged stone only he didn't want to remove it at all.

The breeze blew lightly and the songbirds whistled happily from their heights in the trees but Baelfire still couldn't hear the sound of leaves rustling causing him to frown a little and drop his gaze to the blank page that belonged to the book on his lap and squinting.

"Keep looking so hard and you'll give yourself a headache." Baelfire looked up with a beaming smile to the source of the giggling to see Belle reciprocating it between her laughter. "What's up kiddo?"

She squatted a seat next to him on the fallen log and he rubbed his hands down his face with a groan of frustration before turning to her. "Writing a story is hard. How do you do it?" his dark eyes looked curiously up at her as she opened her mouth to say something but stopped, thinking about how she would answers before she finally did.

"You have to look for inspiration. It reaches out to you as a small idea but it fascinates you, enchants you and makes all the cogs in your head tick with excitement because it means something to you." Belle noted the defeated look on Baelfire's face as he nodded slowly, frowning as he did so. "It takes time Sweetheart, don't you worry about it. You're a smart lad." She ruffled his thick lock and he giggled a little as he tried to get away playfully.

"What's wrong Belle?" Belle felt her heart melt a tad at the concern in the little boy's voice, so small and delicate but firm in asking for an answer and she buckled. She wasn't going to tell him anything apart from her departure but she couldn't bring herself to lie to little Bae.

"I have to go away Bae. My Father is a very important man and at the moment war is starting to spread across the border threatening everyone who lives here. I need to go with him and be by his side so that I can do whatever I can to help even if it's just something miniscule, do you unserstand?"

"A war? But…My Papa just stopped a war not long ago and….and…" The tears arose in his eyes making them gloss over in a thin veil of moisture that threatened to pour at any moment.

"I'm sorry Baelfire. Everywhere you go there will be conflict and hatred, it can't be helped but be assured that I am still your friend ok?"

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**_Read and Review!_**

**_-Blue_**


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